It may only be late October, but you know what’s coming: winter. No doubt, you’re busy getting your home, your backyard garden, and your lawn ready to brace the cold. But what about your custom outdoor shed? While your skilled carpenters have no doubt used high-quality materials to ensure this structure is able to withstand harsh weather, you’ll still want to conduct an inspection to ensure it will really protect everything you’ll be storing there for the season. In some cases, you may need to make repairs or make plans to have this structure replaced in the near future (providing it’s nearing the end of its lifespan). Here’s a checklist that will help you prep your custom outdoor shed for winter’s arrival.
- Clean Up the Clutter: Before you can properly assess the state of your custom outdoor shed, you’ll need to take stock of what’s in it and clear out the mess. Sweep out your shed to ensure no dust or debris will attract insects or rodents during the winter. You’ll want to make certain everything is spic and span to start the season. You should also make sure bagged materials like mulch and fertilizer are properly closed and stored to prevent mold and other issues. Finally, remove any tools that are no longer useful and clean the rest before storing.
- Inspect For Vulnerabilities: Before you close up your shed for winter, you’ll also need to conduct a visual assessment to reduce the risk of problems once the ice and snow arrive. You should carefully check the ceiling, the floor, the walls, the door, the roof, and the windows for signs of holes, cracks, or gaps. These can allow the cold air and winter weather to make its way inside the shed and can invite animals to take refuge there. You won’t want either of those possibilities. It’s typically a good idea to caulk these problem spots or patch shingles if necessary. If you take care of these tasks early enough, you’ll have time to call your custom carpentry services to make necessary repairs; otherwise, you may have to wait until next year to perform more permanent fixes. But no matter what, you’ll need a solution to get you through this winter.
- Trim Back Your Trees: Between 2009 and 2014, the U.S. landscape industry grew by 3.7% every year — which means property owners are understanding the importance of attractive landscaping features like trees, shrubs, and flowers. Many homeowners love spending time in their outdoor living spaces in the fall because of all the beautiful foliage on their trees. However, you may have to sacrifice a little bit of that beauty to preserve your custom outdoor shed this winter. If you have trees with branches that hang over your shed, you’ll want to trim these back to prepare for the possibility of heavy snow or winter storms. Weak branches could easily snap and fall on your shed, which can result in the need for expensive repairs or replacement (and could cause the items stored within to be ruined). In addition to trimming back your trees, you should also take care to rake up the leaves in your yard and to keep paths clear to your shed for safety reasons.
With these tips in mind, you should be able to protect your shed from the harsh weather winter brings and obtain peace of mind that everything you store will be in perfect condition come spring. To find out more about preserving your landscaping and hardscaping features, please contact us today.
